𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 ; zach herron

T E N

It was a Friday when something surprising happened.

Sabrina had come home from school with Zach in tow. She was telling him about the explosion Jack Avery and Corbyn Besson did in chemistry class when she stopped in her tracks.

There, in her kitchen, was her mother.

Her mother. Home. Before nine. On a Friday.

Surprised didn't seem to cover it. Especially since Elizabeth was running around the kitchen trying to cook three things at once on the stove.

Sabrina's mother never cooks. One time when she was five, Elizabeth had tried to make a special breakfast for her birthday and they ended up having to call the fire department. On the bright side, Sabrina got to see the inside a fire truck.

"Mom?" she asked warily. "Why are you home so early? And why are you cooking?"

"Oh!" Elizabeth exclaimed, clearly startled by her presence. "Hello honey. I was just cooking dinner."

"Why?"

"We have guests coming over tonight," Elizabeth explained while checking the chicken in the oven. "A possible investor and his son. I'm supposed to convince him to support the company over a home-cooked meal because apparently, he loves this sort of thing."

Feeling sympathetic, Sabrina offered to help. The way her mother's eyes brightened and the permanent frown on her face disappeared, made Sabrina's heart warm. Although her mother has stayed as far away from her life as possible, she is still her mother. She may work 24/7 and not talk to her at all, but Sabrina still loves her despite the neglect she has received.

After around an hour and a half of slaving over the stove, Sabrina and her mother were successfully able to create an impressive looking chicken dinner with potatoes and steamed vegetables on the side. As soon as they finish, Elizabeth instructs Sabrina to get dressed in her nicest clothes since she will be joining in the evening festivities.

Sabrina frowned as she walked up the stairs to her room. This is exactly what she had always wanted, spending her Friday night with her mother and her potential business partner. What fun...

But, as always, she does what her mother asks of her. She was looking through her closet when Zach decided to pop out of nowhere. "What are you looking for?"

She had gotten so used to his little Houdini act that she didn't even jump anymore. "Something to wear for dinner tonight."

"Oh right. Your mom has company coming over."

"Yeah. She told me to dress accordingly, but I'm not sure what to wear."

"How 'bout a dress?" he suggested. "I've never seen you in one before."

She grimaced. "I only have one and I've never worn it in public."

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't look good in it."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. There's no way you wouldn't look good in it. Let me see."

"No way!"

"Sabrina," he warned, "don't make me tickle you."

She glared at him. "Fine. But get out. I'll call you when I'm ready."

He did as she asked and she quickly pulled out the dark purple dress from the back of her closet. She put it on and placed the matching silver belt around her waist. She called Zach back and waited for his verdict as he stared at her.

He walked towards her, his face just inches from her own. He reached behind her head and pulled the elastic band out of her hair, making the blonde curls fall over her shoulders.

"I like it when your hair is down," he whispered.

She nearly died right there.

"You look beautiful, Sabrina." His hands moved to her cheeks, holding her head in place. His warm breath fanned her face as he leaned in closer. His sea-green eyes making her feel like she's drowning in the ocean. "I need to kiss you."

Oh. My. God.

"Well, if you must," she responded, clearly breathless. He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners, before removing the rest of the space between them and kissing her softly.

She melted into him. Literally. Okay, maybe not literally, but it sure as hell felt like it. She ran her fingers through his thick, brown hair and sighed as he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to his chest.

He kissed her deeply, walking backwards until they both fell on her bed, with her on top of him. They didn't stop. They couldn't stop. The longer she kissed him, the stronger her connection to him became.

He ran his hands up and down her back, occasionally tangling his fingers into her hair and making her shiver. Eventually, she just couldn't breathe anymore and she separated herself from him with a gasp. They stared at each other, breathing hard as they tried to catch their breaths.

It was then as she looked down at him that she knew. She was in love with him. She was in love with this funny, annoying, childish, loyal, charming, and incredibly amazing boy.

And he wasn't even real.

"Hey," he whispered hoarsely, "don't cry."

Was she crying? She hadn't even noticed, but sure enough, a stray tear streamed down her cheek. Percy wiped it away with his thumb, kissing the spot where it had resided.

"Sabrina, why are you crying?"

"Because," she sniffled. "You're not real, Zach. God, why couldn't you be real?"

She looked at his face and was surprised to find that his own eyes were shining with unshed tears. "I'm sorry, Sabrina. I wish I was."

"I'm in love with you," she whispered brokenly.

He closed his eyes then, taking a deep breath before opening them again. "I'm in love with you too."

She kissed him hard while clutching his shirt, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear.

"Sabrina!" Elizabeth called. "Come down! Our guests are here!"

"I have to go," she told him regretfully. He nodded and helped her stand. She grasped his hand in hers. "Will you come down with me?"

"You want me to stay for dinner?" he asked, his face scrunching up in confusion.

"Yes, I do. I want to be near you. But you'll have to be quiet okay?"

He smiled brightly. "Okay. I'll be quiet."

He then kissed her one last time before they descended the stairs hand in hand. The hardest part though, was letting go as they entered the living room.